Manufacture of explosives.



- Britain, residing at 17 Adderley street, Cape To (all w/wnt it may concern:

IIITED ETATEE PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH CHARLES LOUDON BLOXAM, OF CAPE TOWN, .CAPE COLONY, ASSIGNOR TO SOUTH AFRICAN MAGANIIE EXPLOSIVES SYNDICATE LIMITED, OF

CAPE TOWN, CAPE COLONY.

MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVES.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Application filed July 12. 1906. Serial No. 325,948.

Be it known that I, I'IUGH CHARLES Loe- DON BLOXAM, a subject of the King of Great Town, Cape Colony, analytical and consulting chemist, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

Hitherto explosives which have for their principal constituents ammonium nitrate and dinitrobenzene have been made by mixing solid ammoniumnitrate with melted dinitrobenzene.

By the present invention the ammonium nitrate is melted before it is mixed with the dinitrobenzene or While it is being so mixed, whereby a better explosive is obtained. For instance, one advantage of operating in this manner arises from the fact that the specific gravity of the explosive is much increased, so that the effects of the explosive are more powerful.

The invention is more particularly applicable to the manufacture of an explosive in which ammonium carbonate is added to the mixture of ammonium nitrate and dinitro' benzene, as has been proposed in specifica- LiOIl of British Patent No. 7490 of 1904. For instance, ammonium nitrate is heated until it is completely fused and ammonium carbonate is added, or the ammonium carbonate may be added before the fusion. The melted dinitrobenzene is then run into the fused ammonium nitrate; or the fused ammonium nitrate to which the ammonium carbonate has been added may be run on to the solid dinitrobenzcne. In either case the constituents are thoroughly mixed together and after solidification the mixture 18 ground and made into cartridges, in any known manner. If the dinitrobenzene contains free acid, the

latter is neutralized before the mixture is V made.

The lnvention 1s not limited to any partlcular proportions, but We have found about 83 parts of ammonium nitrate, from 0.5 to

2.5 parts of ammonium carbonate and about 17 parts of dinitrobenzenc to be suitable.

Having thus described the nature of any said invention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practical eil'ect, I claim In the process of manufacture of an explosive having for its principal constituents ammonium nitrate and dinitrobenzene, the step which consists in mixing the ammonium nitrate and the dinitrobenzene While they are both in a molten condition.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HUGH CHARLES LOUllON BLOXAM.

Witnesses:

WILFRED BRINTON, HAROLD BENJAMIN KING TRoLLoPE. 

